The Microsoft Exec Exodus Continues

A continuation of the trend I've covered before, the Microsoft exec exodus just keeps rolling on. The latest two casualties are Rick Devenuti, chief of Microsoft's fledgling managed services operation and Jurgen Gallmann, CEO of Microsoft Deutschland. Once again the hits are fairly severe. Microsoft Deutschland is one of the companies largest subsidiaries. A couple quotes from the articles:
Devenuti, senior vieep of services and IT, leaves at the end of year after 19 years at the company. He will spend more time with his family and “consider his next challenge,” Microsoft said. A successor will be announced during the next month.
Devenuti joins a growing list of executives headed for the exit door at Redmond. Among them are 16-year Microsoft veteran and Windows chief Jim Allchin, due to leave in 2007 once Windows Vista finally ships; and Brian Valentine, vice president for Microsoft's core operating system division. He has already left for Amazon having been reshuffled out of his post after 19 years with Microsoft.
and
The head of Microsoft's German subsidiary has quit over differences with the US headquarters.
Jurgen Gallmann, CEO of Microsoft Deutschland – one of the software giant's largest subsidiaries – resigned on Friday. In an email he sent to employees, the executive complained of Redmond imposing increasing restrictions on the German operations and showing little interest in local requirements.
Microsoft has said only that Gallmann had asked to be released from his contract due to differences in views about the future strategy of Microsoft Germany.
The managed services move by Microsoft was one that was met with a lot of resistance for obvious reasons. It's one of the more disparate moves Microsoft has made recently IMHO (previously blogged about here. Competing with its channel, especially for the coveted huge projects, is a move that will inevitably drive consultants and VARs to offer non-Microsoft products. While that department is quite new, notice that Devenuti had been with Microsoft for almost 20 years. That's a trend you see with many of the recent departures. While Gallmann was only a five year Microsoftie, he held a fairly high position. For him to leave in such a public way and in the way he did surely points to trouble in the EU markets. The changing of the guard continues at Microsoft and I think it will go on for a good time longer. I'd say we'll know it's coming to an end when Ballmer steps down. What Microsoft will look like at that point is anyones guess.
–jeremy
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